Preparing for Court

For Informational Purposes Only

If you have entered a plea of "not guilty" to a traffic infraction, either in person or by mail, you will be scheduled for a pretrial conference. At this conference the assistant district attorney who prosecutes traffic infractions for this court may or may not make you an offer to a reduced charge. The Saratoga District attorneys office will contact you by mail to let you know whether they are willing to offer a reduction and if so to what charge.  You may choose to accept and mail back to the court or appear at the conference date.  You may request an adjournment to obtain an attorney to assist you or request a bench trial if you don't accept the offer.

Bench Trial

If you request a bench trial, the trial will be scheduled for a future date at which time the assistant district attorney, the officer who issued you the ticket, you, and any witnesses either side may wish to call will appear before the judge.

You have a right to have an attorney represent you at each and every stage of these proceedings or you may proceed on your own. The judge will hear testimony from both sides and will make the determination as to your guilt or innocence.

You and/or your attorney may specifically request that a trial instead of a pretrial conference be scheduled and the matter will be set for a bench trial.

Guilty Pleas

If you have entered a plea of "guilty" to a traffic infraction in person before the judge, a fine will be assessed by the judge and you may pay it at that time or request time to make the payment.

If you have entered a plea of "guilty" to a traffic infraction by mail, the judge will assess the fine and send you a fine notice and give you some time to pay the fine.

Payment Options

You may pay by cash (if paying in person), money order, certified bank check, or credit card. The court does not accept personal checks nor can it accept credit card payments over the phone.  The court uses a service called Allpaid to take online payments and payments over the phone.
            www.allpaid.com or 1-888-604-7888
             Justice code
             Judge Fauci  7731
             Judge Sloat  7730